GURPS: The Siege (Adventure)

So, Here's the current thinking with regards to the adventure itself.


House Rules:

  • Flesh Wounds (Basic 417)
  • TV Action Violence (Basic 417)

Session 1:

  • Begin in media res with all PCs but one (determined randomly) having been captured by some bad guys. Don't bother explaining how they got nabbed - they just did. 
  • They are in Djibouti. Why are they here? Quinn is a "follow the money" kind of investigator, and they've identified this guy as a facilitator for various terror organizations. There has been rumblings on the dark net about something big coming up so nabbing this guy and squeezing was the intent. Getting captured was not part of the plan - in fact, these guys were waiting for them, thus indicating that there was a leak of some sort at Camp Lemonnier, the USN Expeditionary Base that the PCs were operating out of.
  • Use the following maps:
  • Captured PCs are held in Wine Cellar in basement level. Note that map references to snowmobiles are wrong since Djibouti isn't going to actually have snowmobiles. Motorcycles instead?
  • Quinn is taken apart from other PCs and violently interrogated, Other PCs can hear this and will hear him reciting some story from The Simarillion during interrogation (to reflect his status as "Ascended Fanboy.")
  • Non-captured PC must rescue others. How this happens - use of stealth kills or kick in the door and mow everyone down ala Commando - is up to the player. Other Players get to control the Mooks during this PCs roaring rampage of revenge.
    • All Bad Guys present (including the so-called Big Bad) are Generic Mooks - stats 10, Gun! at 13, armed with AKs, no body armor.
  • The "Big Bad" suicides somehow rather than be captured. Maybe with a grenade, which further injures Quinn.
  • Following capture of "chalet," review of the gathered intel points to Hargeisa, which is directly to the south and is the capital of the "Republic of Somaliland," having officially broken away from Somalia some years back. Specifically, a walled compound in the middle of the city has been observed and reconed - there's no indication as to what this compound is or who runs it, but everything about it screams "fortified." Further intel indicates that the now deceased facilitator has arranged for a crapton of arms and equipment to be taken to Hargeisa.
  • As the OIC, Quinn decides that the PCs have to investigate this since all indications point toward a mass casualty event. Fortunately, the now dead guys were nice enough to leave behind a SUV (or couple of if needs be) that the PCs can use.
  • End Session with PCs on the road.
Session 2:
  • Some research required: how hard is it to cross the border between the two? Since this is set in the future, I can pretty much make it up regardless.
  • Reach the walled compound in Hargeisa. By the time they arrive, it is getting dark. The compound is occupied based on some lights, but there is no indication as to who is in there because the people inside are being discreet. Surveillance of the site will be difficult due to its location - their vans stick out somewhat. Ideally, the PCs will hit on the idea of conducting a recon by force with Quinn remaining in the truck (since he's still injured) to provide overwatch.
    • Interesting observation: what if the hacker PC also stays behind? He could be the person who ultimately realizes this is a CIA black site and declare the abort? Like maybe during initial surveillance, he notices some fairly sophisticated tech (satellite dish?) that leads him to doing his magical Haxxor thing?
  • Recon by force about to breach the compound when Abort is given: compound is friendly.
    • Interesting idea: PCs are probably using infrared lasers and night vision so defenders saw this and refrained from using the same ... until the Abort is given and then they light up (just with the lasers, not the actual guns) the PCs to alert them that they've been made?
    • Additional idea: one of the PCs is former (sorta) Delta. Something about the compound also alerts him to the presence of his Team? For example, during the approach, if he succeeds at Soldier check, he notices something that reminds him of previous ops. 
  • As it turns out, there's only a single D-Boy in the compound as the rest of the Team are actively deployed on a mission here in Hargeisa. The CIA guy in charge is a straight-up Obstructive Bureaucrat who is totally pissed off that the PCs have even learned about this site. 
    • Idea: CIA guy could be Quinn's Contact (who I based off of Jasper Sitwell)?
  • Learn that the Delta operators are deployed on an operation to capture Farooq bin Nisar, one of the most wanted terrorists in the world who styles himself as the new bin Laden, although honestly, he's just a really powerful pirate leader. Why do they want this guy? That's classified but CIA guy will grudgingly admit that the Russians may have misplaced a nuclear warhead...
  • Word comes back from the Delta guys: they're having to abort because they've reached the target spot and they don't have the numbers for this op because the facility has a lot more defenders than expected. They need at least four other shooters to pull this off without casualties ... and conveniently, the PCs are here. Up to the players how they react to this, but Quinn (if no one else says anything) will volunteer his team.
  • Onto bin Nisar's compound. Use the bin Laden hideout as-is. There are Px2 Mook defenders (maybe x3, but we only focus on the ones that the PCs actually deal with. This will be a night raid and there will be a time table involved. GM should spice this encounter way up - remember, since this is Action! suppressors are inexplicably super crazy silenced.
  • End session with (hopefully) successful capture of bin Nasar and exfiltration from the compound.
Session 3:
  • Back at the black site, CIA guy begins prepping for interrogation of bin Nasar. Quinn will assist.
  • PCs spend most of the day recovering and resting. Which is good, because they're going to need it. The Delta guys do have guard shifts and will gladly incorporate the PCs into this.
  • Late in the day, just before dusk, whoever is on shift (Delta guy plus (maybe) a random PC) gets PER check to maybe notice some unusual movement in that area to the south. Guy on shift (if PC doesn't) will call everyone to 'battle stations' because of the movement.
  • Just as the PCs get situated on the roofs ... the fight begins!
    • Use Mass Combat, but mostly in the background.
    • For Significant Actions, run regular tactical combat for 10 rounds or so. This is not expected to be especially difficult for the PCs as these attackers (30 or so?) are all Mooks (see above) who are effectively trying to do a zerg rush. Bad Guys (Guns!-13) are engaging with AKS-74 from approx 30 yds away (-7), and are generally using full rate of fire of 13 (+3) with Move and Attack (so Bulk -4 applies) giving them effective skills of 5 (only 17-18 are actually crit fails.) Damage is 4d-1 pi in the unlikely event that a round connects.
    • No Misfortunes of War check since SA are being dealt with tactically above.
  • Following the skirmish, everyone is trying to figure out why this attack even happened. How did these guys find this black site? 
    • Facilitator in Session 1 already knew about this place.
    • GPS chip in bin Nasar.
    • Traitor (Jasper Sitwell!)
    • Traitor (one of the nameless CIA analysts)
    • Traitor (Delta guy, this would ramp up the angst for PC who is Delta)
  • And then, the Second Wave assault begins.
    • Due to how long combat goes with this group, probably should expect the session to end with the combat beginning at the end ...
Session 4:
  • Begin with the second wave firefight at walled compound in Hargeisa. 
    • In addition to the attackers zerging from the south, they also assault from the north and that construction site.
    • This time, not only do the Mooks use AKS-74s, but every third one is armed with a RPG-7 (Guns!-13, attempt to engage from only 10 yds away (-4), with Aim (+2 Acc) and AoA: Determined (+1) for total effective skill of -12. Since PCs can use Flesh Wounds and all that, they'll likely be able to survive the 6dx4(10) cr ex with linked 7dx2 ... but the Delta guys? At least one of them should die during this round. Given how deadly these weapons are, might be best to not actually target the PCs with it, but instead, hit one of the Delta guys.
    • Also, during this engagement, the bad guys engage with a utility that has a machine gun mounted (M2HB, using Guns!-13, RoF 8 (+1), Range 30 (-7), Rcl 2, dmg 7dx2 pi+). Don't encourage it but sending the daredevil wheelman PC out to grab the vehicle while the other PCs kill the driver & gunner then keep everyone clear of it is a perfectly valid option. Fortunately, if they don't, the gunner isn't very effective so the rounds basically just blow apart wall stuff.
    • The combination of RPGs and a machine gun should leave the compound's wall in tatters. 
  • Calling in for support is unlikely as this is a black site that isn't even legal in-country. In fact, the lack of an actual response by the local police is rather telling. That said, Quinn is on the phone the entire time.
    • After this latest firefight, he will advise that multiple helicopters have been deployed from Camp Lemonnier to extract people ... but they will take fire and most will fall back due to damage. One will land inside the compound and can extract the wounded, the precious cargo (bin Nasar) and any CIA analysts.
    • Naturally, this should leave the PCs and any surviving Delta guys behind with a promise that additional transport will be sent. Given that there is a daredevil wheelman present, though, Quinn (who will remain behind even though he's injured) will suggest that both teams exfil using ground vehicles.
  • Following the above, just as the PCs are beginning to put an exfil plan into motion, the third wave begins, this time starting with mortars! Against the backdrop of rounds dropping in, PCs and the Delta guys pile into vehicles and bug out, directly into a CHASE!
    • Pursuing vehicles are utilities with M2HBs (Guns!-13, +1 for RoF 8, Range Short to Medium (they will only engage with -5 to -7 range penalties), Rcl 2, 7dx2 pi+).
    • Presume PCs are in one vehicle? Might be interesting to split this up into multiple PC vehicles, including a utility if they captured one.
    • Use SUV stats for all vehicles? Action 1 p34.
    • Funny thought: if the Delta guys are off by themselves, inexplicably, none of the pursuers follow them so they get clear without incident.
  • Big question: where do the PCs actually go to escape? 
    • Interesting thought: the team jet is at the airport and waiting, so they just have to get there, get aboard and then get out of the country. Problem with this is that their plane will be IDed ... maybe they just need to get to a spot outside the city where a Navy chopper is waiting?
  • Presuming PCs get clear of the bad guys, we should end on an ominous note that future GM(s) can build on: Farooq bin Nisar never made it to Camp Lemonnier. In fact, the chopper that lifted off with him? It's vanished...

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